High chair forming apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for forming support members for reinforcing rods. A pair of crossed wires are cut and bent into a U-shape and thereafter retained in a concave cavity of the forming die which is rotated about a rotary turret to a weld station at which the crossed wires are welded together. The welded U-shaped wires are then transferred in the die to a capping mechanism or to an end bending mechanism. The capping mechanism applies caps to the ends of the wires. The end bending mechanism bends the ends of the wires upwardly. The capping mechanisms and the end bending mechanism are adjustable to accommodate wires of different lengths for making support members of different heights.

United States Patent 1 Hulst 1 Mar. 27, 1973 HIGH CHAIR FORIVIINGAPPARATUS [76] Inventor: Raymond H. Hulst, Rte.. 1, Hamilton, Mich.49505 [22] Filed: Oct. 18, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 190,088

52 US. Cl. .29/34 D, 29/33 F, 29/33 K, 29/208 F 51 Int. Cl. ..B21i15/08, B21f 45/00 58 Field of Search ..29/208 F, 33 K, 33 F, 34 R, 29/34D [56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 766,425 1/1957Great Britain ..29/34 Primary ExaminerFrancis S. Husar Att0rneyJ0hn E.McGarry aim [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for forming support members forreinforcing rods. A pair of crossedwires are cut and bent into a U-shapeand thereafter retained in a concave cavity of the forming die which isrotated about a rotary turret to a weld station at which the crossedwires are welded together. The welded U-shaped wires are thentransferred in the die to a capping mechanism or to an end bendingmechanism. The capping mechanism applies caps to the ends of the wires.The end bending mechanism bends the ends of the wires A upwardly. Thecapping mechanisms and the end'bending mechanism are adjustable toaccommodate wires of different lengths for making support members ofdifferent heights.

21 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARZTISYS SHEET 1 [1F 6 FIG. 1

PATENTEUHARZYISYS 3.722047 SHEET u [If 6 FIG 9A i ii i iiijji'j.

-iiii PATENTED MAR 2 71973 SHEET 5 BF 6 HIGH CHAIR FORMING APPARATUSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to an apparatus for forming supports for reinforcing rods. Inone of its aspects, it relates to an apparatus for forming high chairsupports, the apparatus having means for bending a pair of crossed wiresin a die so that the wires are retained in the die, means for moving thedie to a welding station wherein the crossed members are welded, andmeans for finishing the ends of the wires by placing caps on the wiresor turning up the ends of the wires.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the construction industry, high chairsare well known supports for reinforcing rods;and.are used in concreteforms for supporting and positioning reinforcing rods in molds beforeand during the pouring of the concrete. The high chairs are formed froma pair of inverted U-shaped wires which are crossed and welded at thebight portions thereof. One of the U-shaped wires has an indented bightportion for reception of the reinforcing rods as the wire stands on itsends. When ceilings or similar structures arepoured and the bottom ofthe concrete will be an exposed surface, the bottom of the high chairsmust becapped with a plastic cap to prevent staining of the exposedbottom surface due to rusting of the bottom ends of the wires. When thebottom surface of the concrete will not be exposed, the ends of thewires must be turned up. The height of the before bending the wires intothe U-shapes. The cutting means, as well as the cap applying means andthe end bending means are adjustable for forming high chairs high chairswill depend on the desired position of the reinforcing rods within theconcrete form. Different sizes are required for different jobs.

Presently, high chairs are made by cutting lengths of wire andseparately forming each wire into a U-shape. Pairs of wires areassembled and welded together. The ends of the welded wires are cappedor turned up in separate operations. Each operation requires 7 aseparate handling of the wires and accordingly requires considerablelabor.

BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, anapparatus is provided for forming high chairs in a completely automatedoperation The apparatus has means for bending a pair of crossed wiresinto a U-shape, the bending means including a die member having aconcave cavity for retaining the U-shaped wires, crossed at the bightportions thereof. Welding means, including a welding electrode, weld theU-shaped wires together at the crossed bight portions while the wiresare positioned in the die member. Cap applying means apply caps to theend of the. U-shaped wires within the die member, or end bending meansbend the ends of the wires upwardly,

or supports of different heights.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a schematic front elevational view of a machine according tothe invention and seen generally along lines l1 ofFIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view in section, taken along lines 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial side view of the cut off mechanism seenalong lines 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the holding die; FIG. 6 is anenlarged cross sectional view of the male die member taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the male die member seen alonglines 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged front view, partly in section, of the weldingapparatus;

FIG. 8A is a partial view along lines 8A8A of FIG. 8; I

FIG. 9 is an enlarged front view, partly in section, of the cappingapparatus;

FIG. 9A is a partial sectional view along lines 9A- 9A of FIG. 9;

FIG. 9B is a partial sectional view along lines 9B9B of FIG. 9;

FIG. 9C is a partial sectional view along lines 9C- 9C of FIG. 9;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged front view of the mechanism for bending the endsof the wires;

FIG. 10A is a partial view of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 10showing a first step in the bending operation;

FIG. 11 is a partialsectional view seen along lines llll ofFIG. 10;

FIG. 11A is a partial sectional view along lines 11A1IA ofFIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged schematic representation illustrating the mannerin which the finished high chairs are ejected from the holding die;

FIG. 12A is a partial sectional view along lines 12A12A of FIG. 12;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the support shaft illustrating a coolingsystem for the holding dies; and

FIG. 14 is a partial side view along lines 14l4 of FIG. 1 illustratingthe indexing mechanism by which the holding dies are moved from onestation to the next.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT General DescriptionReferring now to the drawings, and to FIGS. 1 through 3 in particular,there is illustrated a high chair forming apparatus in which wire stock20 and 22 are fed at right angles to each other by means (not shown) toa bending station 24. A first cut off mechanism 26 severs the wire stock20 and a second cut off mechanism 28 severs the wire stock 22. As thewires are severed, a male die member 32 is forced upwardly and forcesthe two severed wires into a holding and forming die 30 having a concavecavity which forms U- shaped wires 34 therein. The wires 34 are crossedat right angles to each other in the die 30. Four such holding andforming dies 30 are arranged at 90 intervals about a die block 36 whichis fixed to a rotary shaft 38. The dies are rotated on the shaft 38 in aclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1. As the male die member 32 islowered, the dies 30 are rotated with the U-shaped wires passingsuccessively from the bending station 24 to a welding station 40, to acapping station 44 and to an end or toe bending station 50. At thewelding station 40, a weld gun 42 advances to weld the crossed wirestogether. At the capping station 42, caps 48 are fed from a cap feedingmechanism 46 and applied to the ends of the wires 34. At the toe bendingstation 50 the ends of the U-shaped wires are bent upwardly forming bentends 54 by a toe bending apparatus 52. as the die 36 As from the toebending station back to the bending station 24, the finished high chairsare ejected from the holding and forming die 30 by ejecting rails 56. Aconveyor belt 58 having a roller 60 is positioned at the bottom of theejecting rails 56 for receiving the ejected high chairs and carryingthem away from the machine.

The machine is adapted to form one of two types of high chairs. Thefirst type of high chair is the high chair with caps 48 on the endsthereof and the'second high chair is the high chair without the caps butwith the toes 54 bent upwardly. When the capping operation isfunctioning, the toe bending operation is dormant. Conversely, when thetoe bending apparatus is functioning, the capping operation is notfunctioning.

The power for the machine is supplied by a motor 62 through a powershaft 66 and through a drive belt 64. A power take off shaft 68 ismechanically coupled to the power shaft 66 through bevel gears 70 and72. Similarly, shaft 74 is mechanically coupled by bevel gears 76 and-78and auxiliary power shaft 80 is coupled to the shaft 74 through bevelgears 82 and 84. Other suitable mechanical arrangements can be providedto power the auxiliary power shaft 80. The take off shafts '68, 74, andthe auxiliary power shaft 80 are all conventionally supported forrotation by means (not shown).

Cut Off Mechanism Reference is now made to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 for adescription of the cutoff mechanism. Both cut off mechanisms 26 and 28are identical and, for the sake of brevity, only one such mechanism willbe described. Each cut off mechanism comprises a pair of spacedhorizontal gibs 86 and 88 having side slots 90 opening therein. Thesegibs 86 and 88 are supported by upright members 92. A cross member 94has keys 96 which slide within the slots 90 of the gibs 86. The crossmember 94 has mounted at a top portion thereof a fixed cutter edge 98. Apair of vertical-holes 100 are provided in the cross member 94 for driverods 102 which are slidable therein. The drive rods 102 are connected atthe bottom by a cross member 104. A circular opening in the cross member104 surrounds a cam 106 which is keyed to the auxiliary power shaft 80.The drive rods 102 are connected at the top portion thereof by a crossmember 108 which mounts a movable. shear plate 110. The fixed cutteredge 98 mates with the movable shear plate 110 to shear the wiretherebetween. A stop member 101 is provided in the line of the wire 20to limit the movement of the wire 20 past the bending station 24 so thatequal lengths of wire are provided on either side of the bending station24.

The stop member is supported for lateral movement toward and away fromthe bending station 24 by a pair of guides 103. A threaded bore in thestop 101 threadably engages a rod which has opposite pitched threads atthe ends. The rod is journalled in supports 107 which are secured toupright members 114. The opposite end of the rod 105 threadably engagesa threaded bore of the cross member 94. A crank 109 is secured to theend of rod 105 for rotation of the rod 105. -A similar stop mechanismfor wire 22 is also desirably provided for synchronized movement withcut off mechanism 26. For purposes of simplicity, the

second stop mechanism has not been shown in the drawings.

The cut off mechanisms 26 and 28 operate as follows: Shaft 80 isrotatably driven through the mechanical power connection to the powershaft 66. As shaft 80 rotates, the eccentric cam 106 causesreciprocation of the vertical drive rods 102. When the drive rods arepositioned in the up position, the movable shear plate 110-is spacedupwardly of the fixed cutter edge 98 to permit passage of the wire stock20. therethrough. After the wire stock is properly positioned at thebending station, and before the bending operation commences, the driverods 102 are pulled downwardly to shear the wire stock between themovable shear plate 110 and the fixed cutter edge 98. After the formingoperation on the severed rods at the forming station 24, the drive rodsare again raised by the cam to permit passage of more wire stock throughthe cut off mechanism.

The length of the wires fed into the bending station 24 can be adjustedby rotating rod 105 to move the cut off mechanism along the gibs 86,with the keys 96 sliding in the slots 90. Cam 106 is keyed to the powershaft 80 and slides along the power shaft 80 following the movement ofthe cut off mechanism. Thus, movement of the cut off mechanism on thegibs 86 toward the bending station 24 will shorten the wires andmovement of the cut off mechanism in the other direction will lengthenthe wires. The stop 191 is simultaneously adjusted by rotation of rod105 so that the wire fed to the bending station 24 has equal lengths oneither side of the forming die 30. In this manner, the lengths of thelegs of the high chairs formed during the bending operation will beequal.

Bending Mechanism Reference is now made to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 for adescription of the apparatus used in bending the wires into the U-shapedform. As disclosed above, the holding and forming dies 30 are mounted ona rotary shaft 38 for rotation about a horizontal axis. The rotary shaft38 is journalled into two upright members 1 12 and 1 14. Each of theupright members has a pair of upstanding legs on either side of thepower shaft 66 which are joined at upper portions by a central supportmember. The rotary shaft 38 is journalled in bearings 118 and 120 in theupright support members 112 and 1 14.

The holding and forming die is formed by a plate 122 having an upperU-shaped surface 124 for forming the Uvshaped wire 24 from the wirestock 22. The plate has wire positioning indentations 126 and 128 (FIG.5) at upper portions of the U-shaped end surface 124 for retaining andpositioning the U-shaped wires 34. Side plates 130 and 132 are joinedperpendicular to the plate 122 and have concave upper. surfaces forforming the other U-shaped wire from the wire stock 20. Wire positioningindentations 134 and 136 are provided in the top portions of the sideplates 130 and 132 respectively to position and hold the U-shaped wiresafter they are formed by the holding and forming die 30. Normally, thedepth of the cavity of the die 30 will be sufficient to retain theU-shaped wire therein.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the plate 122 has a vertical bore 138 whichcommunicates with a bore 140 in the die block 36. A bore 141 in therotary shaft 38 is aligned with bore 140 and 138 for receiving a pushrod 142. A welding tab 143 extends from the push rod 142 between plate122 and side plate 132 for use during the welding operation which willbe described later.

The rotary shaft 38 has an axial bore 144 in which a stationary camshaft 146 is positioned. A clamp 148 is fixed to the cam shaft 146 andto the upright support member 1 12 to retain the cam shaft 146 ina'fixed position within the rotary shaft 38. The push rod 144 extendsbetween the fixed cam shaft 146 and the U- shaped end surface 124 of theplate 122.

The male die member 32 is supported by a connecting rod 150 whichengages a cam 152 on the power shaft 66. As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, themale die member 32 is formed from a pair of die halves 154 and 156 whichhave outwardly extending base flanges 158 and 162 respectively. A fixedcam plate 170 is secured between the upright members 112 and 114 at oneside thereof. An opening in the base flanges 158 receives the cam plate170. Likewise, fixed cam plate 174' having an inclined cam surface 176is supported between the other side of the upright members 1 12 and 114.An opening 164 in the base flange 162 receives the cam plate 176. Springbiasing members 166 and 168 are secured to the upper portion of theconnecting rod 150 and have springs which bias the -die halves 154 and156 into the closed position illustrated in FIG. 6. Each of the diehalves 154 and 156 has a cavity 178 which mounts a push member 180within the cavity 178. A spring 184 biases the push member upwardly sothat the top portion of the push member extends above the upper formingsurface of the die member.

The forming operation works as follows: The wire stock having been cutby the cutoff mechanism 26 and 28, are positioned at right angles toeach other between the forming die 30 and the male die member 32. As thepower shaft 66 turns, cam 152 raises the connecting rod 150 so that themale die member 32 is pushed into the holding and forming die with thewires therebetween. During this operation, the wires are bent into theU-shapes as they are forced into the holding and forming die 30.Simultaneously, the wire pushes the push members 180 down into the diehalves 154 and 156 of the die member 32. As the power shaft continues toturn, the cam 152 draws the male die member 32 downwardly with the diehalves 154 and 156 riding down the fixed cam plates and 174. As theinclined cam surfaces 172 and 176 contact the flanges 158 and 162, thedie halves 154 and 156 are spread apart. Guides 186 and 188 are providedon either side of each of the die members 154 and 156 to guide thelateral movement of the die halves. During the downward movement of thedie halves 154 and 156, the push members push against the base of thewires in the holding die until the die halves 154 and 156 arefrictionally disengaged from the wire rods. ,This action of the pushmembers 180 retains the U-shaped wires 34 within the holding and formingdie 30 as the male die member 32 is withdrawn.

During the downward movement of the male die member 32, the holding andforming dies 30 are rotated through an angle of 90 on the rotary shaft38. Normally, the one end of the bent wires 34 would strike the male:die member 32. during the rotation of the wires from the bendingstation 24 to the welding station 40. However, the separation of the diehalves 154 and 156, as described above, permits the end of the wires topass between these die halves as it moves from the bending station 24 tothe welding station 40.

Welding Mechanism Reference is now made to FIGS. 8 and 8A for adescription of the welding station 40. As seen in FIG. 4, the push rod142 comprises a holder 190 and a rod 192 separated by an insulatedsleeve 194. The bottom of the holder 190 bears against a cam 147 whichis fixed to the stationary cam shaft 146. The cam 147 has a lobe alignedwith the welding station 40 to push the push rod 142 outwardly. Analkanite tip 196 is fixed to the outer end of the rod 192. Asillustrated in FIG. 8, the rotation of the die 30 to the welding stationcauses the push rod assembly 142 to be pushed outwardly, thereby raisingthe U-shaped wires 34 within the holding die 30. The welding tab 143(FIG. 5) is fixed to the top of the alkanite tip and is also pushedoutwardly as the push rod assembly 142 is moved out by the cam 147.

The welding assembly is supported on a bracket 198 by vertical supports200. An air cylinder 202 is pivotably attached at its back end throughpin 204 to the bracket 198. The piston rod 206 of the cylinder 202 issecured to a welding electrode 208 and a grounding shank 210 through aninsulated clip 212. A guide pin 214 is secured to a bottom portion ofthe clip 212 and rides in a cam slot 216.

The welding operation takes place as follows: As the die 30 is rotatedto the welding station 40, the cam lobe on the cam 147 pushes the pushrod assembly outwardly, thereby forcing U-shaped rods 34 out slightlyfrom the bottom of the holding die 30. At this time, the U-shaped wiresare still wedged between the inner edges of the die 30 and are stillretained thereby. Simultaneously with the rotation of the weldingstation 40, the air cylinder 202 has air introduced into its back end bymeans of a cam operated valve (not shown), thereby extending the pistonrod 206 and forcing the welding electrode 208 into contact with thejunction of the two U-shaped wires 34. The grounding shank 210 is at thesame time forced into contact with the welding tab 143, thereby makingan electrical circuit between the welding electrode 208, crossedU-shaped wires 34, the welding tab 143 and the ground electrode 210. Inthis manner, the two U-shaped wires are welded together.

As the die members 30 are rotated about the rotary shaft 38, theU-shaped wires 34 in the plane of rotation would tend to hit the weldingelectrode 208. However, the cam slot 216 guides the electrode out of thepath of the rotating U-shaped wires 34 as the electrode is withdrawn.Similarly, the electrode 208 remains out of the path of the U-shapedwire 34 as the die 30 rotates to the welding station 40. As the weldingelectrode 208 and the grounding shank 210 are moved in toward theholding die 30 for the welding operation, the cam slot 216 guides thepin 214 so that the welding electrode 208 is positioned in the properrelationship for contacting the crossed U-shaped wires 34.

Cap Feeding Mechanism Reference is now made to FIGS. 9, 9A, 9B, and 9Cfor a description of the cap feeding mechanism 46. As discussed above,the cap feeding mechanism places plastic caps 48 on each of the ends ofthe U-shaped wires 34. The cap feeding mechanism 46 is supported by anupper support member 218 and side guide members 220. The support members218 are fixed to vertical supports (not shown) and remain fixed withrespect to the other fixed parts of the apparatus. A support collar 222is supported by the upper support member 218 and rotatably supports athreaded guide support shaft 224 through a ring 226 which is fixed tothe upper end of the support shaft 224; The support shaft 224 has asquare bore 228 as illustrated in FIG. 9A.

Spaced about the support shaft 224 are four separate cap feedingdevices, each of which feeds a cap to one end of a U-shaped wire. Forpurposes of simplicity, only two such mechanisms have been illustratedin FIG. 9, and for purposes of brevity, only one such mechanism will bedescribed. It is to be understood, however, that there are fouridentical mechanisms spaced about the support shaft 224 and moved in[11118011.

A threaded collar 230 threadably engages the support shaft-224 andsupports a plurality of connecting links 232 through a pin 234. A guidemember 236 is joined to the bottom of the connecting link 232 through apin 237. Guide member 236 is slidably retained by a fixed side guidemember 220. A vertical guide slot 238 is positioned in the guide member236. A hollow cap tube 240 for feeding the caps 48 is secured to theguide member 236 and is movable therewith. Reciprocably supportedbeneath the hollow cap tube 240 on side rails 244 is a cap positioningblock 242 having acap guide opening 256. Rails 244 are secured to thehollow cap tube 240 through side supports 246. As

illustrated in FIG. 9B, a cam follower 248 is fixed to one side of block242 and has a pin 250 which rides in a cam track 252 of a cam member254.

A spline shaft 258 .is mounted for reciprocation within the square bore228 of the support shaft 224. The spline shaft 258 has a lower threadedend 260 and a squared upper end 262 A yoke 266, pivotably mounted onpivot pin 270, rotatably supports the spline shaft 258 through anannular ring 264 which is pinned to the arms of the yoke through pins268. The spline shaft 258 has an inner ring 265 secured to the upper endthereof. The ring 265 engages and rotates within the annular ring 264 asillustrated in FIG. 9C. The spline shaft 258 is thus free to rotateabout its longitudinal axis with respect to the yoke 266. A drive link272 is secured to the other end of the yoke 266 through a pin 274. Thedrive link 272 is secured to the other end of the yoke 266 through a pin274. The drive link 272 is driven by a cam 279 on the power shaft 66(FIG. 2).

A collar 276 with a threaded bore engages the threaded end 260 of thespline shaft 258 and supports four support plates 278 (only two of whichare shown in FIG. 9). Each support plate 278 has a slot 279 whichengages the pin 282 of a plunger 280. The plunger 280 reciprocateswithin the guide member 236 and passes through the cap guide opening 256when it is extended into the lower position as illustrated in FIG. 9.- Aconnecting member 281 joins the plunger 280 with the cam member 254 sothat the cam member 254 reciprocates vertically with the plunger 280.

The caps 48 are fed from a cap orienting and feed mechanism 286 throughan upper cap tube 284 which is telescopingly received in the lowerhollow cap tube 240. The cap orienting and feeding mechanism 286 can beany suitable device which orients the caps with the heads upwardly andthe wire receiving openings downwardly as illustrated in FIG. 9. Such adevice is currently available from Feedmatic-Detroit, Inc., ofSouthfield, Mich.

' Each of the cap feeding mechanisms operate as follows, it beingunderstood that each mechanism operates simultaneously to put a cap oneach end of the U-shaped wires 34. The spline shaft 258 is reciprocatedby the drive link 272 through the yoke 266. Reciprocation of the splineshaft 258 drives the plunger 280 by virtue of the connection between theplunger 280 and the threaded collar 276. As the plunger reciprocates,the cam 254 also reciprocates thereby causing lateral reciprocation ofthe cap positioning block 242. When the plunger 280 is raised, therebyraising the cam member 254, the cap positioning block 242 is moved tothe right as viewed in FIG. 9 so that the cap guide opening 256 ispositioned directly beneath the hollow tube 240. In this position, a cap48 will drop into the opening 256. As the plunger starts its downwardmovement, the cap in the guide opening will be moved to the left asviewed in FIG. 9 to position the cap directly over the end of theU-shaped rod 34. As the plunger 280 continues downward movement, it willforce the cap 48 onto the end of the U-shaped wire 34. Since all of theoperations take place simultaneously, there will be no imbalance to theU-shaped wires within the holding and forming die 30.

The size requirements of the high chair varies. Accordingly; there aredifferent lengths of the U-shaped wires 34 which may be positionedbeneath the cap feeding mechanism. It is therefore necessary to adjustthe feeding mechanism from time to time to accomodate different lengthsof wires. in order to accomplish this function, the spline shaft 262 isrotated about its longitudinal axis, thereby causing a correspondingvertical movement of the collar 276 because 'of the threadedrelationship between the collar 276 and the spline shaft 258. As thecollar moves downwardly with respect to the shaft 258, the plunger 280and the cam member 254 will also move downwardly. Simultaneouslytherewith, the guide support shaft 224 will rotate with the spline shaft258 because of the nature of the slidable connection between these twomembers as ilcollars 230 and 276 downwardly, the guide 236 is also moveddownwardly, thereby moving the cam member 254 downwardly a correspondingdistance. Note that the side guide members 220 and the guide member 236are pitched at an angle which corresponds with the angle of each of thelengths of the U-shaped wires 34. Thus, as the capping mechanism ismoved downwardly,

' it will be moved inwardly in alignment with the shorter lengths of thewires 34.

Thus, the capping mechanism can be easily adjusted for larger or smallerhigh chairs by simply rotating the spline shaft 258.

Toe Bending Mechanism Reference is now made to FIGS. 10, 10A, 11 and11A, for a description of the toe bending mechanism. A threaded supportshaft 290 has a ring 292 fixed to the upper portion thereof. A supportcollar 294 fixed to a fixed support member 296 rotatably supports theshaft 290 through the ring 292. A collar 300 having a threaded borethreadably engages the support shaft 290. The collar 300 has fourprojections 302, each one for a separate toe bending mechanism. Forpurposes of simplicity, only two such mechanisms are shown in FIG. 10.However, one toe bending mechanism is required for each of the ends ofthe U-shaped wires 34. For purposes of brevity, only one suchmechanismwill be described with reference to the drawings, it being understoodthat the other three mechanisms are identical and function identically.

A link 304 is pivotably connected to the projection 302 by a pin 306 atone end and at the other end is pivotably connected to a guide plate 308by a pin 310. The guide plate 308 has a key 312 projecting from a bottomportion thereof. The guide plate 308 is slidably supported on a fixedguide support 314 having a guide slot 316 in which the key 312 slides. Afixed support bracket 318 supports the guide support 314.

The guide plate 308 has at one side thereof a pair of upstanding guideplates 320 forming a guide 322. In addition, the plate 308 has alongitudinal slot 323 at a central bottom portion of the guide 322.

A spline shaft 324 having a square cross-section is slidably mountedwithin a square bore of the threaded support shaft 290 in a mannersimilar to spline 258 in the shaft 224 (see FIG. 9A). The spline shaft324 has a lower threaded end 326 and a square upper end 328 for grippingby a wrench or similar instrument. A ring 330 rotatably supports thespline 324 in a manner similar to spline 258 in ring 264 (FIG. 9C). Thering 330 is supported by a yoke 332 on pins 334. The yoke is pivotablymounted on pivot pin 336 and pivotably engages at the other end a drivelink 338 by a pin 340. A cam (not shown) or other suitable drivemechanism reciprocates the link 338 to pivot yoke 332 and reciprocatethe spline shaft 324 in synchronism to the other moving parts of theapparatus.

A collar 342 having a threaded bore threadably engages the threaded end326 of the spline shaft 324. Linkages 344 are secured to the collar 342through pins 346. The linkages 344 have a rack 348 at a bottom portionthereof for engaging an arcuate cam member 350. An abutment 349 extendsoutwardly of the linkage 344.

The arcuate cam member 350 is supported by a slide member 356 through anannular bearing 357. A bending pin 352' 'extends upwardly through theannular bearing 357 and forms a bending guide for the ends of the wires34. The slide members 356 have a pair of ears which slide within theguide 322 of the guide plate 308.

A pin 358extends down from the slide member 356 and into the slot 323 ofthe guide plate 308 to limit the movement of the slide member 356 withrespect to the guide plate 308.

A guide support 360 is mounted on the slide member 356 and extendsbeneath the arcuate member 350. A retainer 362 extends upwardly from theguide support 360 to retain the rack portion 348 of the linkage 344against the arcuate gear member 350. In addition, the retainer 362serves to limit the rearward movement of the link 344 with respect tothe slide member 356 by engaging the abutment 349 at the end of thelinkage 344 as illustrated in FIG. 10A..

The bending pin 358 is bent backwardly beneath the slide member 356 andhas a slide connector 364 connected to the end thereof. An inclined bore365 in the connector 364 receives an inclined cam rod 366 which is fixedto the bottom of the guide plate 308 through a support member 368.

The toe turning mechanism operates as follows: The U-shaped wires 'arerotated into position in front of the turning mechanism so that the endsof the rods 34 are positioned in front of the bending indentations 354.lniv tially, the arcuate member is in the position illustrated in FIG.10A. The initial position of the bending pin 352 is illustrated inphantom lines in FIG. 11A. The drive link 338 moves rearwardly as viewedin FIG. 10 to drive the spline shaft 324 in a forward direction towardthe wires 34. As the spline shaft 324 moves forwardly, the slide member356 is pushed forward as guided by pin 358 in slot 323. The slide member356 is moved forward until the pin 358 reaches the end of the slot 323.During this movement, the bending pin 352 is carried forward and raisedby the inclined cam rod 366 to the position illustrated by solid linesin FIG. 1 1A. In addition, the movement of the slide member 356 bringsthe arcuate gear member 350 forward so that the bending indentation 354receives the ends of the U-shaped wires 34.

After the pin 358 has reached the end of the slot 323, the spline 324continues to move forward and, in so doing, drives the linkage 344 torotate the arcuate gear member 350 about the bearing 357 and aboutbending pin 352. This rotation of the arcuate member 350 causes the endof the wire 34 to be bent about the bending pin 352, the wire end beingretained between the edge of the indentation 354 and the bending pin352. The ends of the wires are thus bent in this manner by an identicalmechanism.

After the bending operation, the drive link 338 is pulled-forwardly topull the spline shaft 324 away from the holding die 30. This movement ofthe spline shaft,

reverses the operation described above. First, the arcuate member 350 isrotated back to its initial position as illustrated in FIG. A until theabutment 349 contacts the retainer 362. At this point, further movementof the linkage 344 away from the holding die 30 pulls the entire slidemember 356 in the guide 322. The rearward movement of the slide member356 being limited by pin 358 in slot 323. During this backward movement,the bending pin 352 is drawn downwardly as it is moved backwardly to theposition illustrated by the phantom lines in FIG. 11A. The retraction ofthe pin 352 disengages the end of the wire from the bending mechanism topermit holding die 30 to be rotated with the formed high chair withoutinterference from the bending mechanism.

As has been discussed above, high chairs of different size are formed.Thus, the length of the ends of the U- shaped wire will vary dependingon the ultimate size of the high chair. In order to accomodate thesedifferent size high chairs, the bending mechanism is adjustable. When itis desirable to adjust the bending mechanism for the different size ofthe high chairs, the spline shaft 324 is merely rotated about itslongitudinal axis with the use of a wrench or like instrument at thesquare end 328. Rotation of the spline shaft will cause longitudinalmovement of the collar 300, thereby moving the guide plate 308 on theguide support 312. Simultaneously therewith, collar 342 will move in thesame direction, thereby simultaneously making an equal adjustmentbetween the guide plate 308, the slide member 356, the arcuate gearmember 350, and the linkage 344. The pitch of the threads on the splineshaft 324 is the same as that of the support shaft 290 so that rotationof the splineshaft 324 and the support shaft 290 create equal movementof the elements to which they are connected. It should also be notedthat the guide supports 314 mount the guide plates 308 at an angle tothe spline shaft so that as the adjustments are made, they automaticallycompensate for the different spread between the ends of the wires 34 fordifferent sizes. For example, the longer high chairs will have a largerspread between them and the bending mechanisms will be spread furtherapart.

High Chair Removing Apparatus Reference is now made to FIGS. 12 and 12Afor a description of the manner in which the high chairs are removedfrom the holding dies. The removal apparatus comprises a pair of rails56 which extend upwardly at an angle toward the holding dies 130. Theends of the rails are position to ride beneath one of the U-shaped wires34 on either side of plate 122 as the holding die 30 rotates from thetoe bending station 50 to the bending station 24. The stationary cam 147has a cam lobe positioned between the toe bending station and thebending station-24 so that the push rod 142 is pushed outwardly againstthe wires 34 during the rotation of the die 30 from the toe bendingstation 50 to the bend ing station 24. This outward movement of thewires 34 permits the rails 56 to be inserted between the holding die andthe wires 34. Thus, as the die 30 continues to rotate, the high chair iswedged or pulled from the die 30 by the rails 56. The high chair thenslides down the rails 56 onto the conveyor 58 and is carried away.

12 Cooling Operation Reference is now made to FIG. 13 which illustratesthe manner in which the holding dies can be cooled to prevent build upof excessive heat. The welding operation is a heat producing operationwhich can cause build up of heat within the dies. In order to eliminatethe heatbuild up problem, a cooling system illustrated in FIG. 13 hasbeen devised. The cooling system comprises an end plate 370 which issecured to the rotary shaft 38 by a bolt 372. A brace 374 retains theend plate 370 fixed with respect to the upright member 114. The endplate 370 has an intake bore 376 which communicates with an annularopening 378 between the end plate 370 and the rotary shaft 38. Coolingfluid is supplied to the intake bore 376 through a suitable conduit 377and the cooling fluid is removed from the exhaust bore 380 throughconduit 381.

An axial bore 384 in the rotary shaft 38 communicates with the annularring 378 at one end and with a bore 386 in the die block 36 at the otherend. A connecting tube. 388 communicates with the bore 386 at one endand with a bore 390 in side plate 130 of the holding and forming die 30.Similar connecting bores (not shown) are desirably provided in the dieplate 122 for reception and transfer of the cooling fluid. The coolingfluid passes through the side plate 132 via bore 392 which is connectedby means (not shown) to the bore 390.

Each of the holding and forming dies 30 have similar conduits forserially passing the cooling fluid therethroughThe bore 392 is thusconnected to a connecting tube 394 through each of the other holding andforming dies 30. An axial bore 398 in the rotary shaft 38 communicatesthrough bore 390 with the connecting tube 394 and transfers the fluid tothe annular ring 382 and to the exhaust conduit 381. Thus the coolingfluid circulates from the fluid supply conduit 377, through the endplate 370, through the bore 384 in the rotary shaft 38, through each ofthe holding dies 30. The cooling fluid is returned through bore 398,bore 380 and exhaust conduit 381.

Indexing Operation Reference is now made to FIG. 14 which illustratesthe manner in which the holding dies can be incrementally indexed fromstation to station. An index disk 400 is secured by means (not shown) tothe rotary shaft 38 and contains a plurality of indentations 402 spacedabout the periphery thereof. A curved pull member 404 which isreciprocally actuated by a cam (not shown) has a finger 406 whichengages the indentations 402. The pull member 404 is resiliently held incontact with the indexing disk by a biasing member 408 which slidesalong the pull member 404 as the pull member reciprocates. A latch 410slides in a guide block 412 and has a cam member 414 extendingtherefrom. A biasing member 416 biases the latch toward the index disk400.

The indexing operation works as follows: In the position illustrated inFIG. 14, the pull member 404 is about to commence its downwardoperation. As it moves downward, it rotates the disk through an angle ofabout As soon as the disk begins to rotate, the latch 410 comes down andbears against the peripheral surface of the index cam 400. After theindex cam 400 has rotated through an angle of 90, the latch 410 willdrop into the next indentation 402 and thereby prevent further movementof the indexed cam 400. At this point, the rotation of the rotary shaft38 between stations is complete. The pull member 404 then begins to moveupwardly until it reaches the latch 410. At this time, the top portionof the pull member 404 will abut the cam surface 414, thereby raisingthe latch 410 out of the indentation 402. Upon further movement, thefinger 406 will drop into the indentation 402 and the cycle beginsagain..The top of the pull member 404 will actually move slightly pastthe next indentation to permit the finger 404 to properly engage theindentation 402.

The apparatus described above provides a means for automatically formingone of two types of high chairs in a rapid manner. The operation iscompletely automated. Further, the apparatus can be easily adjusted tomake high chairs of different size.

As noted above, the capping mechanism 46 is inactive when the toebending apparatus 52 is active and vice versa. The capping mechanism canbe easily deactivated by disabling the main drive mechanism. For examplepins 274, or pins 268 can be removed for deactivating the cappingmechanism 46. Alternatively, the toe bending apparatus 52 can bedeactivated by removing pins 340 or pins 334. Such pins can be held intotheir respective joints when in use by conventional coder pins (notshown).

Reasonable variation and modification are possible I within the scope ofthe foregoing disclosure, drawings,

and appended claims without department from the spirit of the invention.

For example, cam operated or electrically timed air cylinders could beused to operate the functional parts of the apparatus, such partsincluding the bending mechanism, the indexing mechanism, the cappingoperation, and the end bending mechanism.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows.

1. An apparatus for forming chair supports for reinforcing rods, saidapparatus comprising:

means for bending a pair of crossed wires into U- shapes, said 'bendingmeans including a die member having a concave cavity for retaining saidU-shaped wires, crossed at the bight portions thereof;

welding means including a welding electrode for welding said U-shapedwires. together at said crossed bight portions while said wires arepositioned within said die member cavity;

means for applying caps to the end of said U-shaped wires within saiddie member cavity; and

means for moving said die member containing said U-shaped wires intooperative relationship with said welding means and said cap applyingmeans, whereby said wires are welded together at the bight portions andhave caps applied to the ends thereof while retained in said die member.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising means forremoving said welded and capped wires from said die member.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said removal meanscomprises means for pushing said welded and capped wires out fromcontact with the bottom of said die members, and rail members positionedtoproject between said bottom of said die member and said wires forpulling said wires out of said die member.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said forming means includesa plunger for forcing said wires into said concave die member, saidplunger having at its outer end a pusher means bearing against saidwires, and means for forcing said pusher means against said wires assaid plunger is withdrawn from said cavity to thereby retain said wireswithin said cavity.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said plunger is formed intwo sections, and further comprising means for spreading said twosections apart after said plunger is withdrawn from said concave diemember to permit passage of the end of one of said U- shaped membersbetween said plunger sections as said concave die member is moved tosaid welding means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising means to cutoff segments of wire at said bending means to provide said pair ofcrossed wires.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 and further comprising means. foradjusting said wire cut off means so that the length of wire fed to saidbending means can be varied.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising means forbending the ends of said wires backwardly, said moving means moving saiddie member into operative relationship with said end bending means,means for inactivating said bending means when said caps applying meansis operating; and means for inactivating said caps applying means whensaid end bending means is operative.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said end bending meanscomprises:

a bending member having an indentation for receiving an end of one ofsaid U-shaped wires; means for mounting said bending member for movementtoward and away from said end of said one U-shaped wire;

an upstanding bending pin in said indentation, forming a guide with anedge of said indentation for said end of said one U-shaped wire;

means mounting said bending pin for retraction beneath said indentationas said bending member is withdrawn away from said end of said one U-shaped wire; and

means for rotating said bending member about said bending pin when saidbending member is in its forward position with said end of said one U-shaped wire between said pin and said edge of said bending member,thereby bending said wire end about said bending pin.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 and further including means foradjusting said mounting means so that said bending member can receiveand bend the ends of wires of different lengths.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a pluralityof said concave die members and means supporting said dies for rotationabout a central axis, whereby a pair of wires can be formed whileanother pair of wires can be .welded, and still another pair of wirescan be capped.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising means topush said wires slightly out of said die member cavity when said diemember is positioned at said welding means.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said wires push meansincludes a contact member beneath said U-shaped wires at the crossportions thereof, and electrical conducting means extending from saidcontact member to an exposed position for contact with a groundelectrode for said welding means.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12 and further comprising meansmounting said welding means for reciprocable movement toward and awayfrom said wires in said die member when said die member is positioned infront of said welding means, and said mounting means including a guidemember to move the outer end of said welding means laterally withrespect to the direction of movement of said wires to said caps applyingmeans as said welding means is moved away from said die member so thatsaid wires can be moved to said caps applying means without interferencefrom the ends of said welding means.

15. An apparatus accordingto claim 1 wherein said caps applying meansincludes: A plunger for forcing said caps onto each of said ends of saidwires; means mounting said plunger for reciprocable movement toward andaway from the ends of said wires, and means for feeding said capsseriatim to said ends of said wires in position for forcing onto saidwire ends by said plunger.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said mounting means andsaid feeding means are adjustable for capping wires of differentlengths.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising means forcooling said die members to reduce heat build up due to welding.

18. An apparatus for forming chair supports for reinforcing rods and thelike, said apparatus comprising:

means for bending a pair of crossed wires into U- shapes, said bendingmeans including a die member having a concave cavity for retaining saidU-shaped wires, crossed at the bight portions thereof;

welding means including a welding electrode for welding said U-shapedwires together at said crossed bight portions while said wires arepositioned within said die member;

means for bending the ends of said wi'res backwardly;

and

means for moving said die member containing said U-shaped wires intooperative relationship with said welding means and said end bendingmeans,

whereby said wires are welded together at the' said end of said U-sha edwire; means mounting said ndmg pm for retraction beneath saidindentation as said bending member is withdrawn away from said end ofsaid U-shaped wires; and

means for rotating said bending member about said bending pin when saidbending member is in its forward position with said end of said one U-shaped wires between said pin and said edge of said bending member,thereby bending said wire end about said bending pin;

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 and further including means foradjusting said mounting means so that said bending member can receiveand bend the ends of wires of different lengths.

21. An apparatus according to claim 18 and further comprising aplurality of said concave die members; and means supporting said diesfor rotation about a central axis, whereby a pair of wires can be formedinto the U-shaped configuration while another pair of said wires can bewelded, and still another pair of said wires can have the ends thereofturned upwardly.

1. An apparatus for forming chair supports for reinforcing rods, saidapparatus comprising: means for bending a pair of crossed wires intoU-shapes, said bending means including a die member having a concavecavity for retaining said U-shaped wires, crossed at the bight portionsthereof; welding means including a welding electrode for welding saidUshaped wires together at said crossed bight portions while said wiresare positioned within said die member cavity; means for applying caps tothe end of said U-shaped wires within said die member cavity; and meansfor moving said die member containing said U-shaped wires into operativerelationship with said welding means and said cap applying means,whereby said wires are welded together at the bight portions and havecaps applied to the ends thereof while retained in said die member. 2.An apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising means forremoving said welded and capped wires from said die member.
 3. Anapparatus according to claim 2 wherein said removal means comprisesmeans for pushing said welded and capped wires out from contact with thebottom of said die members, and rail members positioned to projectbetween said bottom of said die member and said wires for pulling saidwires out of said die member.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 1wherein said forming means includes a plunger for forcing said wiresinto said concave die member, said plunger having at its outer end apusher means bearing against said wires, and means for forcing saidpusher means against said wires as said plunger is withdrawn from saIdcavity to thereby retain said wires within said cavity.
 5. An apparatusaccording to claim 4 wherein said plunger is formed in two sections, andfurther comprising means for spreading said two sections apart aftersaid plunger is withdrawn from said concave die member to permit passageof the end of one of said U-shaped members between said plunger sectionsas said concave die member is moved to said welding means.
 6. Anapparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising means to cut offsegments of wire at said bending means to provide said pair of crossedwires.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 6 and further comprising meansfor adjusting said wire cut off means so that the length of wire fed tosaid bending means can be varied.
 8. An apparatus according to claim 1and further comprising means for bending the ends of said wiresbackwardly, said moving means moving said die member into operativerelationship with said end bending means, means for inactivating saidbending means when said caps applying means is operating; and means forinactivating said caps applying means when said end bending means isoperative.
 9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said end bendingmeans comprises: a bending member having an indentation for receiving anend of one of said U-shaped wires; means for mounting said bendingmember for movement toward and away from said end of said one U-shapedwire; an upstanding bending pin in said indentation, forming a guidewith an edge of said indentation for said end of said one U-shaped wire;means mounting said bending pin for retraction beneath said indentationas said bending member is withdrawn away from said end of said oneU-shaped wire; and means for rotating said bending member about saidbending pin when said bending member is in its forward position withsaid end of said one U-shaped wire between said pin and said edge ofsaid bending member, thereby bending said wire end about said bendingpin.
 10. An apparatus according to claim 9 and further including meansfor adjusting said mounting means so that said bending member canreceive and bend the ends of wires of different lengths.
 11. Anapparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a plurality ofsaid concave die members and means supporting said dies for rotationabout a central axis, whereby a pair of wires can be formed whileanother pair of wires can be welded, and still another pair of wires canbe capped.
 12. An apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprisingmeans to push said wires slightly out of said die member cavity whensaid die member is positioned at said welding means.
 13. An apparatusaccording to claim 12 wherein said wires push means includes a contactmember beneath said U-shaped wires at the cross portions thereof, andelectrical conducting means extending from said contact member to anexposed position for contact with a ground electrode for said weldingmeans.
 14. An apparatus according to claim 12 and further comprisingmeans mounting said welding means for reciprocable movement toward andaway from said wires in said die member when said die member ispositioned in front of said welding means, and said mounting meansincluding a guide member to move the outer end of said welding meanslaterally with respect to the direction of movement of said wires tosaid caps applying means as said welding means is moved away from saiddie member so that said wires can be moved to said caps applying meanswithout interference from the ends of said welding means.
 15. Anapparatus according to claim 1 wherein said caps applying meansincludes: A plunger for forcing said caps onto each of said ends of saidwires; means mounting said plunger for reciprocable movement toward andaway from the ends of said wires, and means for feeding said capsseriatim to said ends of said wires in position for forcing onto saidwire ends by said plunger.
 16. An apparatus according to claim 15wherein said mounting means and said feeding means are adjustable forcapping wires of different lengths.
 17. An apparatus according to claim1 and further comprising means for cooling said die members to reduceheat build up due to welding.
 18. An apparatus for forming chairsupports for reinforcing rods and the like, said apparatus comprising:means for bending a pair of crossed wires into U-shapes, said bendingmeans including a die member having a concave cavity for retaining saidU-shaped wires, crossed at the bight portions thereof; welding meansincluding a welding electrode for welding said U-shaped wires togetherat said crossed bight portions while said wires are positioned withinsaid die member; means for bending the ends of said wires backwardly;and means for moving said die member containing said U-shaped wires intooperative relationship with said welding means and said end bendingmeans, whereby said wires are welded together at the bight portionsthereof and have the ends thereof bent backwardly while retained in saiddie member.
 19. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said endbending means comprises: a bending member having an indentation forreceiving an end of one of said U-shaped wires; means for mounting saidbending member for movement toward and away from said end of said oneU-shaped wire; an upstanding bending pin in said indentation forming aguide with an edge of said indentation for said end of said U-shapedwire; means mounting said bending pin for retraction beneath saidindentation as said bending member is withdrawn away from said end ofsaid U-shaped wires; and means for rotating said bending member aboutsaid bending pin when said bending member is in its forward positionwith said end of said one U-shaped wires between said pin and said edgeof said bending member, thereby bending said wire end about said bendingpin.
 20. An apparatus according to claim 19 and further including meansfor adjusting said mounting means so that said bending member canreceive and bend the ends of wires of different lengths.
 21. Anapparatus according to claim 18 and further comprising a plurality ofsaid concave die members; and means supporting said dies for rotationabout a central axis, whereby a pair of wires can be formed into theU-shaped configuration while another pair of said wires can be welded,and still another pair of said wires can have the ends thereof turnedupwardly.